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NORFOLK, Va. – Visiting Liberty held Norfolk State to 215 yards of total offense and kept the Spartans out of the end zone in a 17-0 Flames win in the Spartans' home opener on Saturday at Dick Price Stadium.

Quarterback Josh Woodrum completed 14-of-25 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a score for Liberty (1-1), which broke a two-game losing skid against the Spartans (0-2). 

NSU's best scoring opportunity came on the Spartans' first drive of the game. Energized by the running and passing of true freshman quarterback Terrance Ervin – making his first career start – the Spartans moved inside the red zone. Ervin completed two passes to Isaac White and scrambled for 17 yards on third down to keep the drive alive. But on the eighth play of the drive, Aaron Daniels fumbled at the end of a 9-yard run and Liberty's Tryin Holloway recovered at the Flames' 7.

Liberty took advantage and drove 88 yards in 17 plays for the game's first score. Avery Echols capped the drive with a 22-yard field goal with 1:25 left in the first quarter.

NSU's only other turnover of the game led to Liberty's next score. On 3rd-and-25 from the NSU 38, Ervin was intercepted by Jacob Hagen, setting the Flames up at the 50-yard line. On first down, Woodrum hit Dante Shells for a 43-yard gain down to the Spartans' 7. One play later, Woodrum scored on a 7-yard TD run to make it 10-0 Liberty with 6:39 left in the second quarter.

Liberty's defense took over from there, applying constant pressure to Ervin. The Flames sacked the Spartan quarterback six times, with Chima Uzowihe (2.5) and Toby Onyechi (2.0) combining for 4.5 of those.

Liberty put the game away midway through the fourth quarter. Woodrum hit D.J. Abnar on a 22-yard TD pass to cap a 53-yard, four-play drive with 5:52 remaining in the game.

The Flames outgained NSU 280-215. The Spartan defense held the Flames to just 72 rushing yards on 26 attempts. 

NSU managed 159 yards rushing and 56 passing. Ervin was 10-of-16 for 56 yards. He also ran 21 times for a net of 27 yards. Ervin gained 81 yards rushing, but lost 54 in sacks.

Daniels led the NSU ground game with 11 carries for a career-high 75 yards. Freshman Terry Polk added 43 yards on nine carries.

Linebacker Marcell Coke had nine tackles to lead the Spartan defense. Lineman George Riddick added eight.

The Spartans hit the road for the next two games, beginning with a 7 p.m. matchup at William & Mary next Saturday in Williamsburg.